Twists of Fate
by HoofprintsOnWings
Summary: Emmy has always run away from her past, but now certain events are beginning to shove it into the light. How long can she hold on to her deepest secret?
1. Chapter 1

~~~~~~~~Author's Note

'Ello! HoofprintsOnWings here! [I'll abbreviate it to H.O.W now. Saves time typing

;D] Aaaaannnnnnyyyyyywwwwaaaayyysss…. NEW STORY! Sorry for not

updating the last one, I got stuck and started another and well…. you know how it is.

*hint hint*

*Special Notice* _All _characters in this story except Knuckles belongs to me. He

belongs to Sega. Please R&R!

Enjoy! ~ H.O.W

~~~~~~~~Chapter One: Scattered Dawn

Emmy leaned against the shadowy alley wall. Ocean green eyes observed the world casually as it hurried by. As average mobians lived average lives; average yet blessed. Blessed with powers, supernatural gifts that made everyday an adventure.

Emmy, however, was different. Not only was she an echidna, she had no powers, no gifts. She normal in an extraordinary world,

Her dark clothes hid most of Emmy's pale blue fur and made her seem almost invisible in the midnight shadows. A tiger tattoo on her neck and shoulder cleverly hid a scar from a past life: a life of pain, misery, and hopelessness.

Most of Emmy's quills were unusually short; only shoulder length. Only back three quills were full length. They were held together with several silver clasps and fell gracefully down to her heels. Despite their uneven length, Emmy's quills gave her a mysterious, almost magical appearance.

The sound of approaching footsteps made Emmy shift gears from passive observer to stern drug dealer. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the approaching strangers. The seal grey cat appeared drunk. His companion, a brown fox with black streaks, had to keep the cat from falling on his face several times. Emmy smirked at their pitiful progress.

"Heeeeeyyy!" The cat called, his voice slurred from one too many beers. "What's a purty girl like you doin' out here all alone?"

"Flattery won't work." Emmy said, her voice cold and business like. "If you want my goods, it's cash only." She flashed a plastic bag with a white powdery drug inside. "Fifteen. Take it or leave it."

"I'll handle this. Me an' her go way back." The fox said confidently and smiled broadly at Emmy. "Remember me?"

Emmy drew out a handgun and cocked it casually, handling it like it was a toy rather than a weapon. "No."

"Common, you remember me." The fox stroked her quills with a gloved hand. "The one who sprung you from jail."

"And molested me." Emmy said harshly.

"What?" The fox stepped back in shock. " I didn't do that! I'd never do that!"

"Oh yes you did! Don't try to deny it! I know you did it!"

"But… that's impossible! I've never wanted to hurt you! Don't go pointing fingers at me for something that that I didn't do."

"Don't think your sweet talk will change anything! I know who you are!" Emmy aimed the gun and the fox's chest. "You're a damn rapist, Corrin!"

"Now that's too far!"

"What is? Saying someone's something or _knowing_ they're something?" Corrin's cheeks flushed in anger. He whipped out his own gun and aimed it at his accuser.

"Don't make me shoot you."

"Or what?" Emmy snapped. Their eyes locked in heated combat. Both were cold as steel and sharp as swords. Each second stretched into minutes.

Corrin finally threw his gun down in frustration. "I can't shoot you."

"Fine. I will." Emmy pulled the trigger. Corrin's body jerked as it fell to the concrete. His breath came in ragged gasps and his wild eyes looked at Emmy with shock.

Something seemed to shift inside of Emmy. Her confidence vanished, making her glance around nervously. The gun fumbled out of her hands to the ground, firing another bullet that ricocheted of the wall and hit a beer can nearby; the sound merged with the pounding of Emmy's feet on the concrete as she fled into the night.

The cat ran to his fallen friend, ripped off his glove and placed his hand on the bleeding wound in Corrin's chest, healing it instantly.

"Thanks, Lee. I owe you one."

"Don't mention it," Lee said and helped Corrin to his feet. "Who was she?"

"Old friend." Corrin said and looked remorsefully in the direction Emmy and run off to.

Emmy slammed her door shut and started ripping clothes out of her dresser and shoving them into a suitcase. A wave of painful regret suddenly slammed her, turning her into a sobbing mess on the floor. _I killed him. _The reality was as obvious as a black spot on white paper. She was a monster. Just like they had wanted her to be. _How did I let this happen?_

"Miss Emmy? Miss Emmy, what happened?" Through a screen of tears Emmy could just make out the form of one of the hotel maids, Kina. The petite jaguar's amber eyes were full of concern and compassion.

"I killed him. I killed him in cold blood." Emmy turned away and sobbed bitterly.

Kina gasped. She knew Emmy was different, but not like… this. "Oh my. Uh… let me get you something to drink." She hurried out of the room and soon returned with a cup of hot tea. "Wanna talk?"

Emmy nodded and sat on the bed. Kina waited silently as Emmy drank her tea.

"I've never told this to anyone before. Mostly because of shame and it's a painful subject…"

_Go on,_ Kina's eyes whispered gently,_ I'm listening._

"Ever herd of," Emmy looked around urgently and then whispered, "Area 31?"

Leon whistled merrily as he rubbed the last bit of water off the table. He liked his job at the diner. It wasn't the most glamorous job in the world but it allowed him to meet a lot of interesting people. Leon was one of those guys that you can't help but like. His warm smile and friendly attitude has won him many friends. But, like some of the other unlucky dudes, never any _girl_friends.

"Don't worry, bro." One of his friends told him over lunch one day. "One will come eventually."

_Yeah, when I'm 30!_ Leon scoffed.

"Hi, Leon! Whatcha doin?" Leon glanced up to see his younger sister, Spirit, bounding up to him. Except for the light blue tips of her quills, the two hedgehogs were carbon copies of each other. Both had smoky grey fur, medium length quills, and hazel eyes.

"Just cleaning the tables. Nothing really interesting," Leon whipped his gloves off on his apron. "Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

"It doesn't start till 10 today. Can I help?" Spirit asked, her five-year-old cuteness sparkling everywhere. "Please? I promise not to break anything this time!" Leon thought for a moment. _As long as I don't let her have anything _fragile_, I guess the boss won't mind._

"Ok. You can carry this spray bottle for me." Spirit squealed with delight and eagerly snatched the bottle out of her brother's hands. For the next hour Spirit stuck to Leon like Velcro and helped him clean tables. She squirted water onto the table, and he whipped it off. At the last table Spirit squirted Leon playfully. Leon laughed chased her around the dinner. The chase soon evolved into a game of water tag, each armed with a spray bottle and loads of adrenalin.

"Missed!" Spirit yelled and squirted water in her brother's direction. The water hit not her brother, but a certain red echidna who had just walked in the door.

"What the?" Knuckles exclaimed and wiped the water off his new leather jacket.

"Oops." Spirit was really in for it now. One thing you never do is squirt a stranger, especially one with a temper. Knuckles eyes soon locked on to Spirit's. His angry gaze made her shrink behind the chair.

"Please excuse my little sister." Leon said apologetically. "We were playing and…" Knuckles spun around, eyes flashing.

"PLAYING? That twerp ruined my $100 jacket!" Spirit shrunk lower, almost to the floor.

"I'm sorry about your jacket, but please don't kill her. She's only a kid." Leon led Knuckles to a table while Knuckles fumed and tried to regain his sanity.

"I'M SORRRRY!" Spirit wailed and ran to Knuckles. She hugged the shocked echidna and began apologizing a mile a minute. "I'msosorryboutyourjacketIdidn'tknowitwasyouIthoughtitwasmybrotherI'llpayforyourjacketsomehowohI'msoooosorry!" Spirit balled into his sleeve, staining the jacket further. Knuckles pried her off and looked into her teary eyes. For a frightening moment Leon didn't know if Knuckles was going to yell at Spirit or throw her across the room.

"Hey, it's just a jacket." Knuckles said reassuringly. Spirit stared at Knuckles blankly for a moment before smiling sheepishly. "Now, is their somewhere your supposed to be?"

"Oh! School! Bye Leon!" Spirit exclaimed and sprinted out the door.

"Darn kids." Knuckles said gruffly and examined his jacket. Leon, however, was in a state of shock. His mind just couldn't grasp how _soft _Knuckles could be.

"You work here?" The sudden question made Leon jump. "Well?"

"Yep. Seven days a week, 8 to 9. Not the best paying job, but it's a living."

"You call cleaning up and babysitting a living?" Knuckles laughed.

"It keeps food on the table if that's what you mean. Anyway, name's Leon. Yours?"

"Knuckles."

"Welcome to Reno's Diner, Knuckles. Can I get you anything?"

Leon whistled merrily as he rubbed the last bit of water off the table. He liked his job at the diner. It wasn't the most glamorous job in the world but it allowed him to meet a lot of interesting people. Leon was one of those guys that you can't help but like. His warm smile and friendly attitude has won him many friends. But, like some of the other unlucky dudes, never any _girl_friends.

"Don't worry, bro." One of his friends told him over lunch one day. "One will come eventually."

_Yeah, when I'm 30!_ Leon scoffed.

"Hi, Leon! Whatcha doin?" Leon glanced up to see his younger sister, Spirit, bounding up to him. Except for the light blue tips of her quills, the two hedgehogs were carbon copies of each other. Both had smoky grey fur, medium length quills, and hazel eyes.

"Just cleaning the tables. Nothing really interesting," Leon whipped his gloves off on his apron. "Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

"It doesn't start till 10 today. Can I help?" Spirit asked, her five-year-old cuteness sparkling everywhere. "Please? I promise not to break anything this time!" Leon thought for a moment. _As long as I don't let her have anything _fragile_, I guess the boss won't mind._

"Ok. You can carry this spray bottle for me." Spirit squealed with delight and eagerly snatched the bottle out of her brother's hands. For the next hour Spirit stuck to Leon like Velcro and helped him clean tables. She squirted water onto the table, and he whipped it off. At the last table Spirit squirted Leon playfully. Leon laughed chased her around the dinner. The chase soon evolved into a game of water tag, each armed with a spray bottle and loads of adrenalin.

"Missed!" Spirit yelled and squirted water in her brother's direction. The water hit not her brother, but a certain red echidna who had just walked in the door.

"What the?" Knuckles exclaimed and wiped the water off his new leather jacket.

"Oops." Spirit was really in for it now. One thing you never do is squirt a stranger, especially one with a temper. Knuckles eyes soon locked on to Spirit's. His angry gaze made her shrink behind the chair.

"Please excuse my little sister." Leon said apologetically. "We were playing and…" Knuckles spun around, eyes flashing.

"PLAYING? That twerp ruined my $100 jacket!" Spirit shrunk lower, almost to the floor.

"I'm sorry about your jacket, but please don't kill her. She's only a kid." Leon led Knuckles to a table while Knuckles fumed and tried to regain his sanity.

"I'M SORRRRY!" Spirit wailed and ran to Knuckles. She hugged the shocked echidna and began apologizing a mile a minute. "I'msosorryboutyourjacketIdidn'tknowitwasyouIthoughtitwasmybrotherI'llpayforyourjacketsomehowohI'msoooosorry!" Spirit balled into his sleeve, staining the jacket further. Knuckles pried her off and looked into her teary eyes. For a frightening moment Leon didn't know if Knuckles was going to yell at Spirit or throw her across the room.

"Hey, it's just a jacket." Knuckles said reassuringly. Spirit stared at Knuckles blankly for a moment before smiling sheepishly. "Now, is their somewhere your supposed to be?"

"Oh! School! Bye Leon!" Spirit exclaimed and sprinted out the door.

"Darn kids." Knuckles said gruffly and examined his jacket. Leon, however, was in a state of shock. His mind just couldn't grasp how _soft _Knuckles could be.

"You work here?" The sudden question made Leon jump. "Well?"

"Yep. Seven days a week, 8 to 9. Not the best paying job, but it's a living."

"You call cleaning up and babysitting a living?" Knuckles laughed.

"It keeps food on the table if that's what you mean. Anyway, name's Leon. Yours?"

"Knuckles."

"Welcome to Reno's Diner, Knuckles. Can I get you anything?"

Kina waited patiently for Emmy to finish her tea. _How could someone deal with so much pain, and yet still stay so beautiful?_ Kina thought about all that Emmy had told her and shook her head. It couldn't be. Would people really be that cruel? And just for the sake of "science"?

"I promise to get to the bottom of this. Somehow." Kina murmured.

"Hmm?"

"Oh, never mind, It was nothing. So did they really… cut your quills?"

Emmy's fur bristled and she focused on the tea in her hands. "Yes. They just dragged me onto a table and just chopped them off. No anesthesia. It was like… like… I wasn't Mobian. Like a was some disposable animal without feelings or emotions." She paused, letting the truth sink in. "That's how I got this." She removed her jacket. There, mostly covered by a tattoo and her grey t-shirt was a long scar that ran from the end of one of her front spines all the way down to her shoulder. "I got it trying to escape."

Kina shivered. She couldn't imagine how painful it must have been. "How'd you ever get out?" Emmy remained silent. "Oh… he helped you? Didn't he?"

Emmy glared at Kina. "He did not, but someone else did."

"Who?"

Emmy said nothing and stood up, ending the conversation. She then emptied her cup in the sink. "I believe you have a job to do." She said and handed the empty cup to Kina. Kina nodded and left. The rest of the mourning she was in a daze. Burdened with a secret to big not to tell, yet, it couldn't be told.

_Maybe I should tell the police. But… what if they were in on this too?_ The thought troubled Kina throughout her morning shift until lunch.

Kina chose to eat at Reno's, her favorite restaurant. Not only because the food was good, but the welcoming and cozy atmosphere helped her to relax.

"Hey, Kina!" Leon, the waiter, greeted her cheerfully as she walked in. "Seat yourself at a table and I'll get to ya shortly." Kina chose a window seat near the back. As she waited, she watched the other customers laughing, talking, and enjoying each other's company. All of them seemed to be having a grand time except her.

"The usual?" Leon asked in his normal, happy self. Kina nodded and absentmindedly fiddled with her fork. "You okay?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Well… you don't exactly have a poker face." Kina chuckled. If anything could make her smile, it was one of Leon's jokes.

"It's about a friend. She's… it's complicated." Leon seated himself across from her and looked understandingly into Kina's eyes. She sighed. You can't hide anything from a true friend; no matter how hard you try. "Well… let's just say she's in a lot of pain and she needs help. But… I can't help her. It's like she won't let me." Kina looked outside the window at the sunny afternoon sky.

Leon reached into his pocket and pulled out a little old book. It was worn from years of use and someone had put a piece of duct tape on the cover. "Here. Have her read this." He said and placed the book on the table. "Maybe you should too." He said and left quietly.

Kina looked down at the cover and read the title: _New Testament._


	2. Chapter 2

Corrin stood alone in an alley: the same alley where he was shot the day before. He tried to piece together what had happened.

"Why did you shoot me? Better yet, what made you want to shoot me?" He asked to nobody in particular. "What did I do wrong."

Looking around he spotted her gun lying where it had fallen. He picked it up and looked it over carefully. He closed his eyes and tried to think, what was so familiar about it?

"_Common! You have to keep running!"_

"_I can't!"_

"_You have to! They'll get us if we don't!"_

"_AAAAAHH!"_

"_EMMY!"_

Corrin flinched and tried to burry the memory. It was years ago but the pain was as fresh as if it had happened yesterday. "If you only knew."

Emmy was waiting at the bus depot when it happened. She spotted someone she's been avoiding for years.

The cat was standing in a far corner. His fur was a dark seal brown and his hair was combed neatly into a short ponytail. Dark sunglasses covered his violet eyes and his suit was black as night.

_I know who you are._ The familar voice sent chills up and down her spine. _You can't escape. No matter how far you run, or where you hide, I will always find you._

Emmy wanted to scream and run but she knew that would only encourage him.

"Wha-what do you want?" She asked, voice quivering.

_You know what I want._

She swallowed a lump of fear that formed in her throat. A shadow fell over her newspaper and Emmy felt the breath of someone down her neck. She dared not move a muscle.

"Do you remember me?" The voice was small and venomous. She screamed.

Leon suddenly slammed against the wall and dropped his tray onto the floor. He covered his ears and tried to block out the screaming pain.

"Leon! What's happening?" A bat nearby asked.

"He's here… must stop… call Sonic!" Leon's voice was filled with urgency. "Now!" Everyone looked at him as if he was crazy. Nothing was wrong and Eggman was nowhere near here. "Don't you get it? Someone's life is at stake!" Nobody moved to help, or even cared to listen now. They labeled him as crazy and stuck to it. "If no one's gonna do it, I will!" Leon ran out of the diner as fast as is legs could carry him. _I hope I'm not too late._

A hauntingly familiar sound came from the station a few blocks down. _Emmy!_ He was there in a flash.

"Let her go!" Corrin shouted and whipped out his handgun.

_Foolish boy. You can't save her. You couldn't then, and you can't now._

"What? How are you-"

_I have my reasons._ Violet eyes stared Corrin down from behind a wall of black glass. _Move a step closer and she gets hurt._

Emmy's arm was held in the cat's vice-like grip. Though her mouth was gagged, Emmy's green eyes screamed for help. Help he couldn't give.

The middle-aged wolf who worked at the depot walked up to the cat and said calmly, "I'll have to ask you to unhand that young lady." With a lightning fast punch, the cat crippled the stationmaster and sent him flying into the wall. A terrifying crunch sounded as wolf meet brick. The yellow wolf landed with a heavy _thud_ and lay motionless on the floor. Emmy screamed and tried to escape. Corrin stared wide-eyed at the lifeless form lying on the concrete. He had never seen such careless killing in before. Who in their right mind would just throw away life like that?

_Remember,_ the cat shoved Emmy past Corrin and whispered in his ear, "it could have been you."

Insanity swept over Corrin. He wanted to scream, run, cry, and shoot himself all at the same time. Terror and anger strangled his mind and made it difficult to think clearly.

"What's happening?" The station swirled around him in a blur of colors. And worst of all, the eerie sound of a young child singing began to ring in his ears.

_Once a rose_

_Always a rose_

_Everybody knows_

_That time is such a rose_

_Thorns of death_

_Petals of life_

_Wither away because of strife_

Over and over the song played. It's haunting melody engraving itself into his mind.

Leon banged his fist on Knuckle's door. "Common! Open the door! You've gotta get-AHH!" There it was again, the singing.

…_Once a rose_

_Always a rose…_

Leon grimaced and banged again.

"What do you want?" A very annoyed Knuckle answered the door.He had been trying for three hours trying to stop a faucet with little success and wasn't exactly in the mood for company.

"He's here!"

"Who the hell is "He"?"

"I don't know his name. But I do know he's here and he could kill somebody if he hasn't already! Please, get Sonic before-YAHH!" Leon's body twisted in pain as the song rang louder in his ears:

…_Thorns of death_

_Petals of life…_

Knuckles stood staring at Leon being tormented by some invisible force. "Crazy nut case." He said to himself before shutting the door.

"No! No please! You've got to help me!" Leon collapsed on the steps and began to weep bitterly, "Please…"

… _Wither away because of strife…_

Kina flipped through the pages of the old book. She had seen bigger versions of it in hotel's nightstand drawers but this one was different. Each page had notes and counter notes on just about every verse. Highlighters had marked certain verses and pens underlined others.

"Someone must have really been religious." She mused and turned the last page. On the inside of the back cover a short poem was written in gold ink. It read:

Jesus loves me

And he loves you too

He died and rose again to show

Just how much God cares for you

Kina closed the book and tossed it in her purse. She didn't care much for all this religious stuff; it was too boring and too predictable for her taste. "Jesus loves you this, God loves you that. Can't they be more creative?" She complained.

"Who?" A young, smoky grey hedgehog asked. She placed her oversized backpack on the floor and sat next to Kina on the bench.

"Christians. It's always the same old thing. Never anything new." The hedgehog frowned.

"I'm a Christian."

"Oh, please. You _can't_ be a Christian. You're too young!" Kina has always imagined Christians as quiet old people who do nothing but pray all day and recite "thou shall nots" to "troublesome" teens.

"Am not! Age doesn't matter to God, only that we love him!"

"Well, how can you love something that you've never even seen?"

"…"

"Thought so." Kina stood up to leave when the small hedgehog tugged on her sleeve.

"Just believe."

"Huh?"

"If you believe and have faith that he's real, it's easy to love God. 'Specially when you know how much he loves you."

Kina rolled her eyes. She didn't have time, or cared, for this religious junk. "Later, kid." She walked away and didn't look back.

Spirit sighed. It wasn't easy being small. If only Leon was here, then he could convince her. "Where is he?" She waited expectantly for her brother to appear. After a minute or two she grew anxious. "He's never late! Leon! Where are you?" Spirit grabbed her backpack, swung it on her back, and ran down the sidewalk. As she ran, she called for her brother. "Leon! Leon where are you? Leon!"

Soon Spirit saw him, slumped on the steps of a house she didn't recognize. "Leon? What happened? Why are you crying?" Leon looked up at his sister with tearful, distant eyes.

"Spirit?" He said in disbelief. "Wha… what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you! Are you okay?"

"Oh, Spirit, Spirit!" He grabbed his little sister in a tight hug. "I'm so glad your safe!"

"… Uh… Leon…" A sweat drop fell down the side of Spirit's forehead. The hug combined with the fact that Leon was acting very strangely made the whole situation really embarrassing.

"…"

"Is it the "rose" again?"

"Yeah," He sighed. "It's back."

"But why? What dose he want?"

"I don't know… we've got to find somebody to help us. He must be stopped."

**-End Ch. 2-**

Author's Note:

Me: **CLIFHANGERS!** *Squeals with glee* They're so fun right?

Seeker: It would if ya actually finished it!

Me: *rolls eyes* Duh! _Of course_ I'm gonna finish it. I'm not that stupid.

Seeker: Uh-huh. Sure. Whatever. You're psycho. Bye. *walks away*

Me: Come back here! *chases after Seeker*

Random male announcer voice: This program has been brought to you by HoofprintsOnWings. Knuckles belongs to Sega. Leon, Spirit, Emmy, Corrin, Kina, Seeker, and creepy cat guy belong to HoofprintsOnWings. All rights reserved and I'm wearing a duck.


End file.
